Shokugeki no Souma is a train wreck. And when I say this I don't say it lightly - what started out glowing with great potential came crashing and burning once the show got a little over half-way into the season.
The biggest and most saddening part of Shokugeki is the very poor (or lack of) character development. By throwing way too many characters into the mix, there is simply not enough screen time for most of the main characters. The only person who I would argue went under the most significant change was Megumi, and even so, her development was incredibly forced - her development was not so much based on her own sheer free will but rather because she wanted to mimic other individuals.
The other disappointing factor about Shokugeki is the over-stretching (if this is even a word, lol) of the plot towards the latter half of the season. This is especially exemplified by the Autumn Elections. Most of the tournament events could have been condensed into two to four episodes, but since the judges kept talking and basically giving the same, predictable reviews and reactions ("oh this doesn't look good... but it's so yummy! *insert overly used ecchi animation*), this was easily dragged on and on when it didn't have to be.
What does Shokugeki get right? Arguably the humor. The humor is quick, witty, and light and never fails to disappoint. The artwork and sound is also decent, albeit the ecchi animations are way too overused.
tl;dr
Pros:
- Humorous
- Interesting characters, although some were clearly drawn from stereotypical personalities
Cons:
- Poor plot execution, especially towards the second half of the season
- Poor character development
- Predictable
- Overuse of ecchi scenes - as the saying goes, the same jokes get old fast...
Story: 3
Art: 5
Sound: 4
Character: 4
Enjoyment: 3
Overall: 3
